Brandon Adams University of Georgia/US Forest Service
Cassandra Johnson Gaither US Forest Service
Marguerite Madden University of Georgia
Amanda D. Aragon University of Georgia/US Forest Service

24P

This project analyzes the relationship between heirs’ properties and fuel buildup in close proximity to national forests using both lidar and real estate assessment data. Because land titles associated with heirs’ properties are classified as “unclear” or ambiguous with respect to the entirety of property claimants, this land tenure form constrains landowner ability to use the property to leverage assets or to participate in land improvement programs offered by state or federal governments. Federal land management agencies are keenly interested in estimations of the extent of heirs’ property because of links between this property ownership form and land loss, especially among southern, rural African Americans. Also, from a land management perspective, private properties with unclear title often result in lack of supervison, in terms of attention to fuel buildup. An heirs’ properties raster layer was produced from tax assessment data and a fuel buildup raster layer was produced from a lidar dataset that identifies the location and density of vegetation existing within the vertical zone of one to six meters. A pixel-based regression analysis was performed on the two raster layers to determine the correlation, if any, between heirs’ properties and fuel buildup.

13:30 Lidar Analysis to Evaluate Relationships Between Heir’s Properties and Bio-Fuel Buildup, Amanda Aragon